Combination-vehicle.



I f 1) M PATENTED MAY 29, 1906. J. W. NUSSBAUM.

COMBINATION VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1905' WITNESSES ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1906.

Application filed- August 16, 1995. Serial No. 274,378.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH WILLIAM NUss- BAUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Whitestone, inthe county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a vehicle of the wheelbarrow type by means of which a mechanic may convey tools and materials from one place to another, and which may be converted when desired into an ordinary step-ladder.

It has been the practice heretofore for mechanics in conveying materials and tools to a place where it is desired to use the same to carry them in their hands and arms, and it is frequently necessary tonse a step-ladder in the performance of the work to be done, and this necessitates another trip to the shops and the said step-ladder must be carried on the shoulders and if of any size is unwieldy and sometimes painful to carry; but by means of my invention all the materials may be readily conveyed to any desired place, and when the work has been reached the wheelbarrow may be dismantled, leaving only a step-ladder of the usual construction.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side view of my combinationvehicle; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings forming part of this specification I have shown a step-ladder comprising stringers a, between which are mounted the usual steps a", secured to said stringers, and at the top of the stringers a is the usual projecting top a which serves as a table for buckets and the like when said step-ladder is in use, and hinged to the top a, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, are the legs or supports a, which are braced by means of cross-rods a in the usual manner, and the leg members a are provided with the usual collapsible leaf member or table a, ivoted in the top thereof to a transverse ro a all in the usual manner.

In my form of construction I provide on either side of the stringers a guides I), having slots 5 in whichslide bolts b secured in the legs a and which serve as means for limiting the outward movement of the legs a from the stringers a, and in ractice I also use locking devices If for hol ing said legs to said stringers, and said stringers are provided at the outer ends thereof with segmental openings 12 into which the hands of a person using my vehicle are adapted to be placed, and in practice I also prefer to have the lower step a? slidable in a slot 6 in the stringers a, the reason for which will be hereinafter described.

On the outer sides of each of the stringers a are keepers c secured thereto, which are adapted to receive brace members 0 secured to leaf or wing members 0 arranged above the stringers a, and said leaf members are recessed in an end member a, pivoted at c to the table a said recessing being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the wing members 0 are also provided with en aging devices a secured thereto, which pass ownwardly over the ends of the members 0, and slidable in the wing members 0 is a bottom 0 which is recessed in the wing members 0 as shown in Fig. 2, and by means of the members 0 c and c a box is formed into which materials or tools may be placed.

Passing through the table a adjacent to each of the stringers a are the two ends (1 of a yoke-shaped frame 01 upon which a wheel d is rotatably mounted, and the arms (1 of the frame d extend some distance through the table a and pass into collars (Z secured to the stringers a, and the arms (1 are secured therein by means of thumb-screws (1 as shown in Fig. 3, and when the parts are in the position shown in the drawings a wheelbarrow is formed thereby, and when my invention is so used I prefer to slide the lower step a forwardly toward the wheel d in order to permit a person using said wheelbarrow to walk freely.

When the place is reached where-it is desired to use my invention as a step-ladder all that is necessary is to loosen the thumb screws d remove the frame d disengage the braces c from the band 0 by raising the wing members 0 and then disengaging the same from the head member a, after which the said head or end member may be folded over on the table c and when the hook or locking device I) is disengaged from the legs a the step-ladder may be set up in the usual manner, at which time the lower step a drops to its normal position (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3) and is secured in this position by means of nuts 6, and the collapsible leaf member a may be at this time dropped and my step-ladder is ready for use.

It will therefore be seen that the convey in of materials and tools to andfrom the shop is acilitated and at the same time a step-ladder is provided for use on the job, and while I have shown simple means for adapting my invention to either of its uses it will be obvious that various changes in the construction herein shown may be made without depart ing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A combination device of the class described, comprising a step-ladder provided with hinged le s a detachable wheel-support connected wit hbne end of the ladder, and

box members also connected with said end, substantially as shown and described.

2. A combination-vehicle, comprising a step-ladder, a wheel connected with one end thereof, a head member pivotally connected with the top of said step-ladder, wing members adapted to engage said head member and the sides of said step-ladder, and a bottom plate adapted to be engaged in said'wing members and thereby form a box on said step-ladder, substantially as shown and described.

3. A combinationvehicle comprising a step-ladder, a wheel detachably connected with one end thereof, guide members for the legs of said step-ladder serving also as legs for my vehicle, and a knockdown box mounted on said step-ladder, substantially as shown and described.

4. A combination-vehicle, comprising a step-ladder, a wheel mounted at one end thereof, guide members for the legs of said step-ladder serving as legs for said vehicle and the side members of said step-ladder serving as handles for said vehicle, a knockd iivn box on said step-ladder,-and devices for holding the lowest step in a position adj acent to the succeeding step, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 7th day of August, 1905.

JOSEPH WILLIAM NUSSBAUM. WVitnesses: 1

MARY ELIZABETH BAKER, CARRIE AUGUSTA Evmurr TOWNSEND. 

